


A Man of Duscur

by drowsyfantasy



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Courtship, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Size Difference
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:07:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22256938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drowsyfantasy/pseuds/drowsyfantasy
Summary: Lorenz is one of the first students recruited to the Blue Lions house, thanks to an invitation from professor Byleth. Suddenly captivated by one of his classmates, Lorenz learns the hard way that sometimes, you have to fight for love.
Relationships: Lorenz Hellman Gloucester/Dedue Molinaro
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	A Man of Duscur

“It’s a lucky thing that our professor invited me to join this house; not a single one among you carries himself with the proper air of a noble.” 

Mercedes just smiled at Lorenz patiently as she looked up from her notes. “I’m sure you will also make a great teacher for us. The Goddess has led us here with gentle purpose, after all.”

“Ah. True.” Lorenz returned to his studies, leafing through a page of his handwritten notes. He glanced over at Mercedes, watching as the swoop of her pen travelled the page like a sea-bird. His own text was tight, small, precise and legible, but hers was elegant. “Perhaps you may aide me in my penmanship.”

Mercedes laughed brightly and easily, and was about to reply when Sylvain slunk up from behind him and slid an arm over both of their shoulders. “Good morning to two of the most beautiful ladies in the entire monastery. I see we’re all early to lecture today. Did we have plans for later?”

“It’s my first day in your house’s classes, and the professor teaches much earlier than Claude had settled on his lectures.” Lorenz glared at the arm on his. “If you’re attempting to flirt with me, I’ll have you know, I’m not going to fall into your arms like you seem to think all women will.”

“Aww, you’ll break my heart.” Sylvain’s laugh was rich and warm. “Come on, just one kiss to tide me through the day?” 

“Very well. You may kiss my ass.” 

Sylvain whooped with laughter as Mercedes giggled behind her hand. They didn’t have a moment more though, because the doors opened and in came the rest of the house, a sleepy Ingrid yawning, a disinterested-looking Felix, Annette checking something in her book as she walked. Ashe was trailing after her, humming something under his breath. Last came the prince, Dimitri, looking as though he hadn’t slept at all, and his retainer. Lorenz had spotted Dedue a handful of times - it was difficult to miss the young man after all, what with him being so big - but had never been this close before. 

Raphael had been big, but he was much more relaxed. Dedue seemed quietly purposeful, settling beside Dimitri in the front row of desks opposite them. 

“Hey, down in front!” Sylvain piped up from behind him, but Dedue didn’t budge. Instead he just looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. 

“You do not normally sit behind me.”

“Lorenz took my seat.” 

“Oh!” Lorenz stood up quickly. “I didn’t know you had assigned seating-“

“We don’t.” Dimitri rubbed his temple. “Sylvain, stop it. Pick another seat and sit down. The professor will be in soon.” 

Lorenz shook his head, coming into the aisle. “No, if a seat is your regular one I shouldn’t take it. Here, Sylvain, please, take your seat.”

Sylvain, clearly not having planned for this kind of reaction, kept his mouth shut as he slipped into the desk beside Mercedes. Lorenz looked around the room for a suitable spot; since he was taller than many of the others, he made for the seat behind Ashe, head and shoulders above the silver-haired boy. 

Ashe, for his part, looked over his shoulder with a friendly wave, and Lorenz nodded politely. Satisfied, Ashe turned back to his notes just in time for the doors to open once again and Byleth walked in to begin the lecture. 

Here, Lorenz was further back from the front, but closer to Dedue. Idly wondering if it would be closer to sit behind Dimitri and still be able to see over his head, Lorenz found himself staring at the back of Dedue’s neck quite accidentally. His eyes followed the natural line across Dedue’s shoulders, the well-cut cloth shifting as he took notes. _He’s not bulging out of his shirt like Raphael does, but he’s built much the same way._ Lorenz’ mind turned to thinking about muscle, about the way Dedue’s uniform coat pulled and showed the shape of his back, down to his waist and-

“Lorenz.” Byleth was calling out. “Can you answer the question?”

“Ah!” He snapped out of his daze, embarrassed at being caught daydreaming on his very first day in the class. “I apologize. What was the question?” No point in trying to hide it. Byleth patiently repeated the question and thankfully it was something Lorenz was able to answer without any further hesitation. Relieved, he went back to taking notes and resolved to not let himself get caught up in staring at his classmates again. 

It lasted all of two minutes before he was leaning on his elbow and watching Dedue scratch at the page in front of him, his own notes forgotten, his mind locked on the side of Dedue’s face that he could see. The line of his jaw and the way his lips settled half-open as he wrote, the contrast of his skin and hair, the - 

_What am I doing? Focus._ Lorenz forcefully turned his head away, making himself look at Byleth and the material the professor was going over. _If you can’t concentrate in class, you might as well transfer back to the Golden Deer. Don’t you want to do well? Then focus!_

Lorenz managed to make it through the rest of the morning lecture with adequate note-taking before the class broke for lunch. Dimitri went to talk to Byleth about something and Lorenz, seizing his courage, stepped over to the desk where Dedue was packing up his bag. 

“Hello,” Lorenz began, trying to keep his voice as steady and serious as possible. Up close, he could see how big Dedue’s hands were, and a sudden thought, unbidden, flooded his imagination: _those massive, massive hands, sliding over his pale chest, rough palms and short nails scratching-_

“Hello.” Dedue had turned to look at him. Lorenz himself was not a short teenager, but even with Dedue sat down they were still almost at eye level with one another. His lips were still slack and full and punishingly tantalizing. “May I be of some assistance?”

_Goddess take me now._ “N-not really. I’m just, ah, introducing myself.” Lorenz awkwardly stuck his hand out, intending to shake like a commoner, but Dedue leaned forward as a vassal would, taking Lorenz’s narrow hand in his, and brought it to his lips. 

Lorenz’ brain short-circuited and he twitched and tried not to burst into brainless giggling, managing only barely. He could not open his mouth without dissolving, though, and so he waited for Dedue to pull back, which he did, in a practised manner. “It is good to meet the son of a noble count of the Alliance. I hope this house serves you well.”

“Um. Yes. Quite right. Well, it was a pleasurable - I mean a pleasure! Will you be taking lunch with us? Do we all eat together? The Golden Deer House-”

Dedue let go of his hand, his face darkening. He seemed to have picked up on Lorenz’ flustered state and pinpointed the source. “I must inform you that if you spend too much time around a man of Duscur, there will be rumours.” He stood, pushing in his stool, and with a brief, respectful bow, strode off to walk with Dimitri. 

Goddess help him, Lorenz had no idea what to do next. 


End file.
